29/05/2026
𝐊𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐀, 𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐆 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐍𝐏 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐇
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police signed the Record of Discussions (RD) for the implementation of the US$6.9 million “Establishment of Criminal Investigation Data Management and Analysis System“ project on May 28, 2026 at the PNP Star Officers’ Lounge, National Headquarters Building, Camp BGen Rafael T Crame, Quezon City.
The ceremonial signing was held in the presence of key officials from both Korea and the Philippines, including His Excellency LEE Sang-hwa, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, Mr. Jung Youngsun, Country Director of the KOICA Philippines Office; Mr. Juanito Victor Remulla, Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., Chief of the Philippine National Police.
In his welcome remarks, Chief PNP Nartatez mentioned the “enduring partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea – a partnership built on mutual trust, cooperation, and a shared commitment to safer communities and stronger institutions.” He also said that PNP is “better prepared to build a more responsive, intelligence-driven, and service-oriented police organization” because of the project.
Ambassador LEE highlighted the significance of police cooperation for public safety and law enforcement as this has direct impact on tourism, business and economy. He cited the DILG’s Safer Cities Initiative as statistics have shown that crime rate dropped by more than 16% after its initial implementation in the country.
KOICA Country Director JUNG, in his keynote message, stated that “the significance of this project goes beyond simply building a system. More importantly, it reflects Korea’s strong commitment to supporting the safety and security of the Filipino people by helping establish a more integrated, transparent, and reliable criminal investigation system.” He expressed hope that the project will “contribute to reinforcing public trust in law enforcement institutions and to building a safer and more secure future for generations to come.”
In his closing remarks, DILG Secretary Remulla mentioned the longstanding partnership between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of the Philippines which started during the Korean War. “It shows that today, wherever our fortunes may go, for whatever happens, our countries go a long way. Korea and the Philippines remain partners. And we shall remain partners no matter what happens,” Remulla said.
The project will integrate four separately operated investigation-related systems in the PNP—CIRAS, CIDMS, e-Warrant, e-Rouges—into a single integrated platform to support a more efficient and systematic criminal investigation process. It is a follow-up initiative to the “Enhancing the Criminal Investigation Capability of the Philippine National Police” project, which was implemented from 2016 to 2022, and will continue through 2028. Under the previous project, KOICA provided patrol vehicles, motorcycles, forensic investigation kits, and various activities aimed at strengthening the investigative capacity of the PNP.
Some photos courtesy of PNP PIO